


Rose by Any Other Name, A

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-06-08
Updated: 2002-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:43:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Josh, Donna, baby names? What's going on with these two?





	Rose by Any Other Name, A

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**A Rose by Any Other Name**

**by:** Evelyn

**Disclaimer:** Aaron Sorkin owns everything.

**Category:** Romance, Josh/Donna

**Rating:** CHILD

**Author's Note:** Thanks to Shelley for her encouragement and careful reading - plus all her grammar lessons! Thanks to all who have been so kind and sent me wonderful feedback. Note to Aaron Sorkin: You can get these two together and they'll still be lots of fun! 

"Donna, Donna, where are you?" Josh breezed through the bullpen, finally stopping at the door of his own office. And there, shoes off, feet tucked under her, sat his assistant, calmly eating a dish of ice cream and reading a book. 

"Comfy Donna?" he asked. 

"Why thank you, Josh, I am," Donna replied with a smile, not taking her eyes off the page, but putting her bowl down on the nearby desk. 

It was almost ll p.m. and Josh was just getting back from late meetings on the Hill. He closed the door to his office and sat down on the arm rest of the big leather chair, next to his assistant, who carefully marked her place with a slip of paper, put the book under a legal pad on the desk, and turned to face her boss. 

"How was Senator Clearwater," Donna murmured, as Josh leaned down, snaked his arms around her and started to nuzzle her neck, working his way from right below her left ear down to her collarbone, his hands beginning to roam, every move being met with appreciative moans along the way. 

"He was putty in my hands," Josh mumbled back. "Just like you," but the words were muffled as he moved to the other side of Donna's neck. 

"Putty, huh?" Donna started to pull back, but Josh held her close. 

It had been three months since Josh and Donna had found their way together. They'd agreed to keep their relationship a secret until after the election, but Donna thought that the way Josh was swaggering into the office each morning with that "I am `da man'" grin on his face was a dead give-away, and that no one was going to be surprised when they finally went public with their feelings. 

"Let's get out of here," Josh whispered. "It's been a very long week, and I think we need some quiet time, although I have to say that you're not exactly quiet..." Josh smirked, then put his hands behind Donna's head and pulled her close for a kiss, first just brushing her lips and then quickly deepening it. 

"Mmmm, Donna?" Josh leaned back. "What have you been eating? You taste like....like dill pickles and....and" 

"Cherry Garcia ice cream," Donna grinned, looking up at Josh. "I just had this craving and went down to the mess about an hour ago. I'll brush my teeth when I get to your place." She grabbed Josh's hand and as they started to get up, her book and legal pad fell to the floor. 

Josh's eyes widened when he saw the title of the book Donna had been so intently reading. 

"'Baby Names Now: From Classic to Cool?' Donna?" Josh said slowly, looking at her. 

"Yes, Josh?" she answered with one of her trademark enigmatic smiles. 

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Josh asked nervously. 

"You're right. I forgot," Donna answered calmly, picking her book up off the floor. 

"You forgot? Like you forgot to turn off the lights kind of forgot?" Josh asked, his voice getting slightly higher. 

"Well it's not that big a deal. Leo moved Senior Staff to 2 p.m. tomorrow." 

Josh nodded silently, trying to form words, but nothing came out. 

"Oh wait, there was one more thing," Donna said, slowly. "I wanted to show you this book and ask you what you thought of the name Alesandro?" 

"What?" Josh yelped, finally finding his voice. "Donna, what are you trying to tell me? Aren't you still on the pill?" 

Then he paused, took a deep breath and said, "No, no, no that's not the first thing I want to say. The most important thing is, Donna, you can count on me. We're in this together every step of the way." He grabbed her hand. "How are you? Are you feeling sick? Have you seen a doctor?" 

"Well, in answer to your questions, Yes, fine, no, and yes, but he's pretty sure that my rash is just a dermatitis caused by the new detergent I've been using, but thanks for asking," Donna replied with a straight face. 

"Huh?" Josh answered. Then slowly, he continued, "Let's take this from the top. Yes, you're still on the pill?" 

"That's right, although nothing is 100 percent effective, you know," Donna replied, with a sweet smile returning to her face. 

"And yes, you're feeling fine; no, you're not sick; and yes you saw a doctor for your rash?" Josh continued. 

"Yup." 

"This is beginning to sound like a very bad sitcom. But Donna, you're eating pickles and ice cream, and reading a book of baby names, so unless this is an episode of 'Candid Camera'," and with that Josh looked nervously around the room. 

"No, you're not being secretly videotaped Josh, to be played back at the next Senior Staff meeting," Donna chuckled. "Although the other night might have made interesting viewing on `Hard Copy'. It gave me a whole new appreciation for `Hail to the Chief '," Donna grinned. 

"Senior staff? Oh God, Donna, Leo's going to kill me. When he finds out that I got you pregnant, Leo is going to murder me." 

"Don't worry about Leo. If I were pregnant, you'd already be a dead man. Michelino Moss would come after you with a double-barrel shotgun," Donna laughed. 

"Your father has a gun?" 

"He'd buy one, Josh." 

"Wait, did you say, `if ' you were pregnant?" Josh pushed. 

"Right." 

"You mean, you're not pregnant?" Josh asked indignantly. 

"No, although given the amount of wild and wonderful sex we've been having," Donna pointed out, "we'd better pray that we fall within the 99 percent effectiveness group." 

Josh stared for a moment and then broke into a mega-watt, crater- sized dimpled grin. "So if you're not pregnant, why the pickles and ice cream?" Josh asked. 

"Well, the pickle came with my turkey sandwich and why wouldn't I want some ice cream?" Donna laughed. 

"Makes sense, but why the book of baby names?" Josh persisted. 

"My sister Catherina called. She's pregnant, but she and her husband John can't agree on any names, so I've been putting together a list," Donna answered brightly. 

"So you were just playing with my head," Josh countered. 

"Oh, yeah. That was probably the most fun I've had all day," Donna chortled. "But I'm hoping to have a little more fun before the night is over," she added seductively. 

"I think you can put your money on that," Josh quipped. "So, what's on your list of names," he asked as he started to stuff folders into his backpack. 

"Well, Cat would like to continue the Italian theme in our family, but John wants to focus on Irish names that go with O'Hara, like Reilly for a girl and Kieran for a boy," Donna explained. 

"Is Scarlet out of the running?" Josh asked with a smile. 

"Thank you sooo much for that original idea," Donna laughed. "Cat eliminated Scarlet as a possible baby name on her first date with John. Besides this book, I found a website that had hundreds of Italian baby names, but of course, I'm keeping my favorites in reserve for my own kids," Donna added. 

"You have favorite baby names?" Josh asked in surprise. 

"Of course, all women have names for their babies," Donna answered. 

"For the babies they don't yet have?" Josh continued. 

"Definitely. I'm thinking Venanzia for a girl. It means one who appreciates the beauties of life, and is moved by music and the arts." 

"You got to be kidding," Josh snorted. 

"And Benecio for a boy, one who has a warm and generous nature." 

"No way, Donna. Every kid on the playground would call him Benny, and Benny Lyman sounds like a bookie," Josh pointed out. 

"Really? I hadn't thought of that," Donna looked at Josh and giggled. 

Josh began to sputter, "I mean, I mean," while his face got redder and redder. 

"Calm down, Josh. Picking out names is just fun," Donna laughed. 

Josh grew quiet. "The Jewish tradition is to name a child after a close relative who died. I always thought..." 

"You'd name your children Joanie and Noah," Donna said softly. 

"Yes." 

"But that only accounts for two kids, what are you going to name the rest?" Donna asked mischievously. 

"Rest? Just how many kids are you planning to have Donna?" Josh demanded. 

"Well, when I was 10, I read the book, `Cheaper by the Dozen,' and thought that sounded like a nice round number," Donna answered saucily. 

"Invite me to your wedding, Donnatella. I want to meet the man who wants a dozen kids," Josh replied with a smirk. 

"Well, I've revised my estimates since then. Lately I've been thinking 3 or 4 kids would make a nice family size," Donna laughed. 

"All boys, manly men," Josh said boastfully. 

"At least one girl, Josh," Donna answered patiently. 

"With blonde hair, blue eyes, and her mother's talent for wrapping men around her little finger," Josh said shyly. 

"Not all men, Josh. Just that one special someone." 

Josh zipped his backpack and heaved it onto his shoulder. 

"Ready to go, Venanzia?" he asked, stretching out his hand toward her. 

"All set, Benecio," she answered, grabbing hold. 


End file.
